Parents often hear these words from their young children, perhaps after they saw a shiny new toy on a commercial, as they’re walking down the cereal aisle in the grocery store or after a classmate got a cool new outfit.
This can feel frustrating, but the reality is that your preschooler can’t understand the concept of money—or budgets or what you can afford—the way an adult can. It’s not too soon to start to teach your child about money, though (because advertisers are sure targeting them already!), and there are effective ways to engage your preschooler.
When teaching your child about money, be sure to:
The basics to impart include:
Here are more specific methods to make learning about money fun.
Here’s how this site puts your child’s level of knowledge into context: “your kid is probably already growing curious as to how those mysterious, rectangular pieces of paper work and what those coins of different colors and sizes really amount to.”
The site also offers plenty of money-related games and activities, including these free downloads:
This site shares books that are appropriate for preschoolers, such as Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst; If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz; and The Berenstain Bears’ Trouble with Money by Stan Berenstain.
A simple game is Money Toss. You only need a container, such as a bowl, plus coins. Have your child toss coins into the container and then count how many landed as heads; how many as tails. You can also cut out rectangles of poster board and then hot glue coins on them in different combinations (two to a piece, with a dividing line drawn down the middle). Play dominoes!
This site encourages shorter lessons to jive with a preschooler’s typical attention span. Ideas include:
Looking to enrich your child’s learning and life? Horizon Education Center provides affordable quality care, including educational and enrichment opportunities for children in the following Northeast Ohio locations.